Fixing What's Broken
by RevolutionChick
Summary: PRWF. Set after Secrets and Lies. Taylor wakes up in the middle of the night to hear crying.


**Fixing What's Broken**

Why was it the Animaria was always so quiet at night? It was a bit disturbing, in Taylor's opinion. She was so used to some kind of noise when she slept at night, whether it be the faint take off of planes or someone stumbling around to find the bathroom. But at the Animaria? Nothing but silence. Not even the Wild Zords made a noise.

You would think Princess Shayla would even make some kind of sound, like the soft humming she would always do during the day. But during the second week she slept at the Animaria Taylor found out the princess spent her nights far on the other side of the floating land, keeping the Wild Zords company just with her presence.

It made her homesick in a way. It wasn't the same waking up to silence, the only noise being her feet moving on the ground. She would get her drink from the kitchen as usual, and then stumble back into the sleeping area where she always ended up bumping into Max's cot and swearing a few words that only stirred the other Rangers, never awakened. It was a basic nightly routine.

So why was tonight so different? For one, Taylor found herself awakening earlier than normal, and no desire to go back to her bed and sleep. Her mind was such a clutter after the day's events; it was as if she was too emotionally drained to physically take care of herself.

She let out a deep sigh and put down her glass, knowing she had no other choice but to at least spend the rest of the night lying down and looking up at the stars.

On her way back to the sleeping area though, something caught the yellow ranger's attention. Noise. Not made by herself, and not nature around her. It was…another person.

Immediately, Taylor went into a defensive mode. The only reason sound could be made at this hour in the Animaria was if someone had broken in. Toxica maybe? One of Master Org's creatures? Either way, she had to find out, and Taylor slowly crept closer to the sound to investigate.

She was half way past the kitchen when her inability to watch her feet got the best of her. A vein on the ground got caught up in her ankle, and she stumbled forward muttering angrily.

"Damn it!"

Taylor's hiss echoed her own ears, the loud sound being surprising and making her eyes go wide. Not the smoothest move she's ever made, for sure.

She wasn't the only one who heard her voice, unfortunately. "Who's there!"

It came from above, a bit dim from distance but still loud enough to get her attention. Taylor recognized the voice, despite its broken and crackling exterior.

"Cole?" She asked back, "Is that you?"

No answer. She gave him time, a minute at the most to reply, but there was nothing. Taylor knew it was dark, but she took a glance behind her trying to see if Cole's cot was taken. She could only assume it wasn't, considering Max and Danny were spread out over theirs and taking up more room than any two men should.

"So it was those two who kept kicking at my feet."

Muttering with a shake of her head, Taylor walked forward and found herself in front of a large tree. No surprise, Cole spent all his time hanging in these things. But why exactly was he up here in the middle of the night, she had no clue.

With a grunt, she jumped up onto the bark and her bare feet climbed up slowly. The good thing about being in the air force was rough skin made things easier for you. It took more time to reach the split of the tree, being half asleep and in the dark, but when Taylor reached it and scrambled to sit on a branch, she noticed that it _was _Cole who had made the noise before.

He was crying.

"Cole?" She had no idea how to handle this. Princess Shayla and Alyssa were the comforting ones, not her. All her life she was taught to suck it up and not shed a tear and here in front of her was her team's leader weeping softly.

She reached forward and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you…okay, Cole?"

It was a stupid question, but all she could think of. She knew he wasn't okay. Hell, she wasn't okay and all she had to do was deal with the day's events. Here he was dealing with the fact his parents were probably dead, parents he came to find from the beginning.

Cole took a deep sniff and ran the back of his hand over his eyes. "Just go back to sleep, Taylor. We don't know when Master Org will attack again. We have to be ready."

A part of Taylor chuckled at this. It was just like Cole to say something like that, to be so idiotic that he'd end up being hypocritical with his own words. Alyssa always told her that she liked that innocence in the boy…frankly, she found it infuriating.

"I'm already up…why don't we talk?"

She didn't know if Cole could see it, the only light illuminating their faces being the stars from above, but her expression held nothing but anxiety. Her head was screaming to just climb back down and leave him alone - leave him like she did to everyone else in her life, yet for the first time in a while her heart ached to stay.

Looking over at her, Cole's body tensed. "No offense Taylor, but why would you want to talk to me right now?"

So maybe the jungle boy was smarter than she gave him credit for. After all, he had figured her out and began to realize she came off as a bitch. Nothing she was proud of nonetheless, but only her closest friends seemed to back off when they knew she wouldn't be there for them.

Taylor sighed and let her hand drop from his shoulder. "Because…because you're hurting and I'm your friend."

Cole simply turned his head back, staring down at his feet like the skin was about to jump up off of him and run away. The way he brought more silence and tension only irritated Taylor even more. Why did he have to be so naive and stubborn?

"Listen Cole," She moved forward and leaned into his bowed face. "I know a lot of times I come off as someone who doesn't care…but I do. It's a bit different for me, okay? Just stop being so concealed because it's only going to hurt you in the end."

Her tough and firm voice just might've been what did the trick. Cole brought his knees closer to his chest and slightly turned towards his teammate.

Had she gotten through to him? Taylor honestly didn't know. He still wasn't speaking, and more time went by they just sat there like two insomniacs who had nothing to do but stay awake. It finally began to drive her insane - Danny coming up here and talking about the different scent of flowers would have made her happier.

"This is hard for you, isn't it?" It was all she knew what to say. Cole wasn't exactly the easiest person to get close to in situations like these, and his attitude towards it made things all the worse.

He quietly sniffed and shrugged his shoulders, "What is?"

"This! What happened today. Your…life jungle boy, jeeze." Cole looked up from his feet forlornly when she said this,

"All my life Taylor, I never knew who my parents were. _Never. _And when I finally find out I have them…only a picture to follow…" Fresh tears burned in his eyes, and Taylor was just waiting until a waterfall came out of him. "I find out they're dead. I have no family. I have nothing."

She didn't know what it was inside of her that made her do it, but Taylor found herself moving closer and grabbing Cole's hand gently. "That's not true, Cole. And don't ever think it. I don't know what it's like not to have blood to be there for you…but that's all they are. A family is someone who's always in your life, who's there for you closer than anyone. Just because there's a chance your parents aren't here anymore does not mean you don't have anything."

Cole stared into her eyes, barely being able to see anything but the sight in front of him being just enough. For the first time since he came to the Animaria, Cole saw Taylor more than a tough leader who got them through the day. Sitting next to him under the stars, he saw something he never thought he would.

And finally, his fresh tears streamed down his face. "I…I don't know where to go from here."

"Take it one step at a time." Taylor told him, unconsciously stroking his hand, not realizing she was doing it to make herself feel better and in the process giving comfort to the man.

"Wh-what does that mean?" Taylor had to bite her tongue not to laugh.

Honestly, Cole's ingenuity could be harder to put up with than a child.

"It means don't try to hang on until next week. Look towards the morning. And if you survived that, make it through the afternoon. One step at a time."

She knew she had gotten to him now, as he slowly nodded his head in full understanding, like she had told him the secret of life.

Things got a bit awkward after that when silence overcame the two, and it being in her nature, Taylor broke it before it got the best of them. "After all, Alyssa's waffles will get anyone through the day. We have that to look forward to."

Cole's smile almost made Taylor jump out of the tree. Never had she felt so…successful than that very moment. His chuckle was like getting all the air force metals and honors she ever could put together.

"You're right. T-thanks, Taylor."

She smiled back and nodded her head.

"You'll be alright, jungle boy." Patting his hand one last time, she began to crawl over to the edge of the tree, silently praying she didn't fall on her ass not being able to see where she was going.

Before she even got one foot down though, Cole's voice broke her attention.

"Taylor?" She looked up at him and knitted her eyebrows down softly.

"Yeah."

"Can you…keep reminding me that?"

Stunned for a moment, Taylor felt a grin slip on the corners of her mouth, and she nodded her head again before climbing down to the ground. She hoped Cole would follow in time, but had a good feeling he wasn't going to come down any time soon.

And she was okay with that, as long as he was okay himself.

_-Later that morning-_

"Ow…okay, honestly, if I spend one more night being kicked by Max, I'm sleeping with the White Tiger." Alyssa rubbed her back sorely as she walked around the kitchen getting things ready for breakfast.

Taylor could only chuckle at this as she continued to read the newspaper, obviously not interested in what it had to say but finding it more entertaining than feeding the Wild Zords.

Occasionally she would glance up when Alyssa made a few noises with her pots and pans, but other than that it was a slow morning. Max and Danny were still fast asleep, and Cole…well, Taylor found him dead to the world in the tree top when she woke up. It brought a small smirk to her lips.

"Hey…" She put the newspaper down and looked over at her teammate. "Are those pancakes I smell?"

Alyssa looked down at the batter in her hands, and up at Taylor with a nod of her head.

"Can you make waffles instead?"

Alyssa shrugged her shoulders and pulled out the waffle iron.

"Sure!" The request was unexpected, but being who she was, the white ranger was ready to make anything for her fellow friends.

Taylor smiled softly and brought the newspaper back to her face. Yeah…everything was going to be alright.


End file.
